Daniel's Dilemma
by Stargate Fan
Summary: Part Three of The Survivor's series. DV pairing. Please read and review!
1. A Hunting We Will Not Go

Chapter One. A Hunting We Will Not Go

Getting mauled by a Grizzly bear isn't something that loans itself to dinner conversation. Daniel sat quietly while the others set the food about the table and even though the food looked and smelled great, he didn't have an appetite. Vala tried to tempt him with a few bites of grilled chicken, since he couldn't feed himself, yet, but after a few bites, he was done. The pain medication was wearing off and he was tired so he excused himself and went up to his room.

He laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. It was too early to take a Vicaden and he stomach felt upset. _'If I could just nap for a few minutes, maybe I'll feel better.'_ The pain was bad but soon he was out.

As soon as dinner was done, Jack looked across at Carolyn and they both got up and headed for the stairs, equally concerned about Daniel. It was his birthday and he never liked a fuss, but he was healing from the bear attack and they were concerned.

When they stepped into Daniel's room and saw that he was asleep on top of his bed spread, Carolyn quietly stepped forward and checked his pulse. It was slow and steady, just like normal. Placing the back of her hand on his forehead, she noted that he didn't seem too warm. She stepped back and indicated for Jack to follow her. "He's fine. I think he's just tired. It's not easy to sleep in the infirmary. If he doesn't come back down in an hour, come back up and see if he wants to come down. It'll be time for his meds, then."

Jack was concerned. Daniel hadn't taken it well when they'd given their theory about the bear being Goa'ulded. He looked over at his best friend and wondered how Daniel managed to keep it all together. He sure had been through a lot.

When they got back down to the kitchen, they helped with the clean up and assured everyone that Daniel was okay and they needed to talk. So, they all headed for the sun room with their coffee or iced tea and made themselves comfortable.

"We have to hunt that thing down," Jack said. "Any ideas?"

"It could be anywhere, Jack," Sam said. "By now, who knows where?"

"I believe that we will not have to hunt this animal," Teal'c said.

"Why? Do you think this is over?" Cam's question made them all stop and think for a moment.

"I do not believe it is over, Colonel Mitchell. I believe it is just beginning."

"Explain, T." Jack sat back and watched his friend, wondering what he was getting at.

"I believe the bear will hunt Daniel Jackson."

Vala sat up straight, "You mean, you think it will come here?"

"Indeed. It was implanted with a certain mission in mind. The Goa'uld within will direct it here. It will know where Daniel Jackson resides and will come for him."

"So, all we have to do is wait. I'd rather not, if you don't mind." Jack didn't like the thought of waiting around for the monster to show up."

"How else will we find it, Sir? It was shot numerous times with the zat gun, which didn't stop it for long, and it is still out there, somewhere."

Cam had a good point, Jack thought. Finding it wouldn't be easy.

"Daniel knew you'd want to hunt it down and he wants to go along." Vala looked at Jack with a worried expression on her face. She didn't like the idea of Daniel being out there on the bear's home turf.

"Well, he's not going anywhere," Carolyn said. "He's in no shape to be running around through the mountains being bear bait." She shivered at the thought. "He's got some physical therapy to go through to get his arm and fingers back in working order and I won't have him risking more damage to his tendons and ligaments. He can't even hold a weapon so what does he think he could do?"

"It's personal, with him," Jack said. "This bear was sent on a mission to kill him and Vala. He's not the kind to wait around and let the beast sneak up on him."

Vala was looking down at the floor and said, "I don't want him out there, neither. I'll never forget seeing him flat on his back with that THING on top of him, trying to kill him." She wrapped her arms around herself protectively as Sam got up and went to sit beside her. Sam hugged her and tried to console her as tears welled in Vala's eyes.

"Well," General Landry said, "he's not going to go. I'll get some SF teams to come out and watch the perimeter. I don't think I want to wait, either. It's been a few days and Grizzlies can move quick."

Cam said, "Why a Grizzly? They're aren't any around this area, normally. Montana and Yellowstone, sure. But Colorado Springs?"

"The Trust must have moved it here. I can't imagine how they managed it, but they have technology that they've stolen from other planets so I'm sure they're capable of it." Jack looked at General Landry and said, "I'm going to call the Pentagon and let them know what's going on. I'm also going to call President Hayes and fill him in. And, I'm going to stay here to help. I don't like it when anyone goes after one of mine." The sobering look he gave Landry spoke volumes. Jack may be a two star general stationed in Washington D.C. as Secretary of Home World Security but his heart was still with SG-1 and always would be. "I've got some calls to make," he said as he headed for Daniel's office.

Vala stood and said, "I'm going to check on Daniel." Sam and Carolyn decided to go up with her to see for themselves that he was resting comfortably.

"It's time for his pain pills, anyway," Carolyn said as she grabbed her bag and followed the other two women up.

Teal'c stood and turned towards the windows. The sum room windows reached from floor to ceiling and made up two of the walls on the corner of the large house that Daniel lived in. From his vantage point, he could see the whole northern approach from the woods that were about 50 yards away. If the bear came from that direction, he might have time to see it and fire. But, what would bring this creature down?"

"Colonel Mitchell, why do you think the zat gun didn't work on the bear?"

Cam stood and walked over to stand beside Teal'c, looking out. "My guess was it had a personal shield. Daniel didn't say but in the heat of the moment, I don't know if he would have noticed. After all, it was trying to eat him."

"I think you're right," Landry said. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Well, sir," Cameron said as he turned to look at the General, "If that's the case, this bear won't go down easily."

Landry joined them at the windows and said, "Bullets won't penetrate a shield but knives or spears would, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir, but I'm not really comfortable going after a Grizzly with a spear. They can cover the distance of a football field in 6 seconds. We don't have 300 feet from here to the trees. It would be on us before we could react and we'd have to get close in order to be accurate."

"You're right, Cam. But crossbows would work." Landry looked over at Cam and Teal'c and smiled. We won't have to get that close. If enough of us had them, we might be able to stop it."

"Can we get our hands on crossbows, sir?"

"I can get my hands on whatever I need and the experts to shoot them, too. Excuse me, I have some calls to make, too."

Cam looked at Teal'c and said, 'So, let me get this straight... We're not going to hunt the bear. We're going to let it hunt us. And we're using crossbows?"

"Indeed, Colonel Mitchell. I believe you have it straight." Teal'c smiled and turned back to view the back yard.

"Okay, just so we're on the same page." Cam turned and joined his friend, hoping for all their sakes that General Landry was right.

0 0 0

When Daniel woke up, he heard voices and turned his head towards where he thought they were coming from. Opening his eyes he saw Vala, Sam and Carolyn sitting by the fireplace on the west side of his bedroom. He tried to sit up and noted that he was undressed and covered with a blanket. 'How in the world…?' He tried to sit up again but the pain in his shoulder and chest was pulsing and he couldn't manage it.

Carolyn turned when she heard him try to sit up and said, "Hey, he's awake."

"What happened?" Daniel didn't remember undressing himself and why were they in his room? He looked up at Carolyn as she came around and approached his side of the bed.

Vala walked over and said, "That's not the reaction I expected. Most men would be thrilled to wake up in their bed with three beautiful women in attendance."

"I am. I mean, you are. I mean... um…" Daniel decided to keep his mouth shut. He could only stick his feet in so far.

Sam laughed and said, "You had us worried so we came up to see how you were doing."

"Who undressed me?" Daniel's face was a bright red at the thought.

"All of us." Vala smiled. "It's not like we haven't seen you undressed before."

"Sam hasn't!"

"Well, actually, there were a few missions where you were getting dressed and well..."

"Sam!"

"Oh, come on Daniel! It's not like we have any privacy when we're off world. Most of the time you and I share a tent and that's just the way it is. It's no big deal."

Daniel was speechless. She was right. In fact, he'd seen her, partially undressed before but hadn't said anything, neither. It couldn't be helped so they remained professional about it."

"It's time for your Vicaden, Daniel." Carolyn went into the master bath and got a glass of water and came towards him with the prescription bottle in her hand.

"I don't think the Vicaden is really working. It wore off a while ago and I really hurt."

Carolyn noted that he felt a little warm. "Let me check your dressings. Can you move over to the side of the bed more?"

Daniel tried but it was difficult without causing more intense pain. So, the ladies grabbed the edge of the bed spread and pulled. Just like that, he was surprised to find himself laying right where Carolyn could reach him. Sam and Vala stood back while Carolyn removed his sling and cut the bandages away from his shoulder. They both hissed when they saw the puncture wounds in his upper arm. It was worse when they watched her remove the bandages from his chest. Daniel turned red under their scrutiny so they stepped back, trying to give him some privacy.

Carolyn checked his fingers and said, "These are healing nicely but you're a little red around the cuts on your chest and the holes in your arm." She gently pushed on them with her fingers and Daniel squirmed under her hands.

"Ow. It feels like the stitches are pulling some."

"I'm sorry. I needed to see if there was any puss in there. I don't see any but this is a bit inflamed and you're running a low fever again. I'm going to increase your dose of antibiotics and try something different for the pain. It'll probably make you sleep but at least you'll not feel anything."

"I'm not so sure I like that idea. It seems like all I do is sleep."

"I know. But, it's your body's way of saying, 'STOP,' so it can heal." She applied antibiotic cream to his wounds and then bandaged him up again. "I'm going to go down to the kitchen and prepare a tray of food for you. You don't want to take anythingon an empty stomach." She left the room and Vala sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You just need to rest, Darling. You'll feel better in a few days."

Sam said, "I wish you had a better birthday than this."

"Hey, it beats being dead." He stared up at the ceiling and said, "I really thought that was it. I was going to die."

Sam sat down in a chair by the bed and said, "If you hadn't taken your zat along, you would be."

He reached for Vala's hand and carefully took it. His hands were scratched up still and the splints on his fingers made it difficult to maneuver but he didn't complain. At least he still had fingers!

Carolyn came back in carrying a tray, followed by the guys. Teal'c gently helped Daniel sit up against the headboard and Vala helped him eat. The rest of the group gathered around the cold fireplace and chatted about this and that.

When Daniel was done eating what he could, Vala took the tray and set it on the table by the window. Carolyn gave him his pain pills while the others gathered around the bed and General Landry told him their plans of having crossbow teams stationed around the house.

"Everyone else needs to stay indoors. Nobody goes outside. The local authorities have been alerted about a 'rogue bear' in the area but they don't know the complete details."

"So," Daniel said, "We just sit and wait for it to show up?"

"Pretty much," Jack said. "We have some SF's outside the perimeter who are trying to find it and some eyes in the air watching out for it, too. Don't worry, Daniel. We won't let it anywhere near the house."

Daniel hoped Jack was right. He didn't want that thing near any of them. Soon, the pain medication started to work and his eyes were drooping so Carolyn suggested that they go downstairs and let him rest.

Teal'c stayed behind and helped Daniel up so that he could use the bathroom. It wasn't easy with bandaged fingers but he managed and when he came back to the bed, Teal'c had pulled back the covers and waited while he climbed in. Then he gently covered Daniel and said,

"Is there anything else you need, Daniel Jackson?"

"No, I don't think so. Hey, thanks Teal'c." Daniel was grateful for his friend's help and consideration.

Teal'c smiled and said, "You are welcome." He then turned and closed the door behind him as he made his way back downstairs.

Daniel settled under the covers and thought, _'This hasn't been the best birthday I've ever had, but I'm glad they're all here.'_ Soon, he was sound asleep.


	2. The Waiting Game

Chapter Two. The Waiting Game.

Daniel woke up a couple of hours later feeling a bit better and managed to get out of bed by himself. He heard a thumping sound and looked out the window to find a helicopter landing in the yard behind the house and soldiers getting out of it. They had hunter's camouflage on and it looked like they were carrying high powered rifles.

He carefully put on some sweat pants and then went down to the lounge to find Sam and Vala playing pool. General Landry and Jack were out on the back deck talking to Colonel Reynolds and some of the SF's. He stepped outside to hear their conversation but everyone stopped talking when he showed himself.

"Daniel, feeling better?" Jack noticed that Daniel seemed rested and the pinched look was gone from his face. _'The pain meds must be working.'_

"Yeah, Jack. What's going on?"

"Not much, yet. There's been no sign of 'Yogi,' as you so aptly named the bear. We're setting up a perimeter. If Hank here is right, when you figure out the distance Yogi could travel, the bear could be in this vicinity tonight, if Teal'c's theory is correct.

"I didn't name the bear. Vala did. And do you really think it's headed this way?"

"If I was a betting man, I'd put money on it, Dr. Jackson." Reynolds seemed pretty confident. "The house is surrounded and we have personnel in the air and on your roof. It won't get to you, I promise."

"Jack, don't you think we should move Vala, Carolyn and Sam out of here? I don't want to take any chances."

"Well, Carolyn had to return to the SGC but she said she be back by dinner time. Vala and Sam wont leave, Daniel, and you know it. Sam's going to stay no matter what I order her to do. And, Vala… Well... She won't leave your side so that's that. We won't let the bear get to them."

Daniel looked around and asked, "Where's Cam and Teal'c?"

"Cam if flying one of the birds and Teal'c is currently sitting up on one of the chimneys of the house. Look up and you'll see him."

Daniel stepped away from the house and looked up to see Teal'c sitting high and mighty, with a scoped rifle.

"Go back inside, Daniel. We've got it all under control and if Carolyn comes back and sees you wearing yourself out, she's gonna have my hide."

Hank Landry said, "And mine, too. You haven't seen her angry yet, Daniel and believe me, you don't want to." Hank grinned and watched as Daniel turned back towards the house. Daniel took a seat in the lounge to watch CNN to keep his mind off things. There was a lot of news on about the unrest in the Mideast and something interesting about a slab of rock found in Mexico with what might be the oldest writing on it found in the Western Hemisphere. _ 'I'd like to take a look at that. I wonder if they'd let me?'_

0 0 0

A little after six, Carolyn's vehicle could be seen coming down the dirt road and she pulled into a spot next to an military Jeep. She stopped a marine and asked him to get his buddies and haul the pizza boxes inside. Before leaving the SGC, she ordered 20 large pizza's from Luigi's and picked them up. Different teams rotated so that each team could come in and eat. She came into the lounge with three pizzas and SG-1 ate theirs together, although Teal'c was still on the roof. Cam had relinquished the controls of the helicopter he'd been flying and he and Jack were sitting at the bar watching TV. Jack asked if anyone minded if he turned it to a ball game. Everyone said okay and Sam joined the guys at the bar stools.

"Still no sign of Yogi, Jack?" Daniel really wanted this to be over so that he could get on with his life. Having all these people in his home was a bit disturbing and not what he'd pictured when he bought the place. He wanted peace and quiet and he had anything but.

Jack turned and said, "Not yet, but we're all keeping alert so if Yogi is headed this way, we'll know it. Try to relax, huh?"

"Easy for you to say," Daniel said. He yawned and laid his head back. The recliner chair in the corner was a perfect place to relax, as long as he didn't try to get out of it by himself. He was still a bit loopy from the pain meds but it felt good to sit and relax. He was also trying to stay calm so he'd do as he was told. Carolyn brought him 3 slices of pizza and Vala was trying to feed him. He insisted he could hold it himself but Carolyn said he'd better not even attempt it and get grease all over his bandages. He remembered what Hank had said about her temper so he sat quietly.

Sam turned to watch Vala feed him and said "You remind me of a baby bird, Daniel," and then grinned as he blushed.

He could hardly wait until he was back to normal.

Carolyn was sitting at a table next to the recliner and asked "How are you feeling? When I stitched your chest up, there was all kinds of dirt in the scratches and while I cleaned them out as well as I could, there still might be plenty of germs in there."

"I'm okay." Daniel tried to smile but she could see he was tired.

Vala asked, "Were the scratches very deep?"

"They start out deep by the collar bone and get shallower as they travel down his torso. Daniel, you're lucky they didn't go deeper. They could have punctured your lungs or even your heart."

Vala looked from Carolyn to Daniel and their eyes met. He smiled to reassure her but she realized how close Yogi had come to killing him and sat quietly for a few moments.

When Carolyn described the scratches, the three at the bar turned to look and Sam asked, "Daniel, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Sam. I'm fine." He didn't want to talk about it so he made an excuse and asked Vala to help him out of the chair. After rising, he left and went back up to his room. He really didn't feel all that well and after being out of bed for a few hours, he was ready to go back.

Vala wanted to follow him but Carolyn called her off and said she needed to check on him and would Vala wait?

Vala nodded. She turned and went out the front door and sat on the steps. _'I hate this. I hate to see him hurting and I hate being unable to do anything about it.'_

A few minutes later, Sam stepped outside and said, "Vala, you'll have to come in. Jack's orders."

"I know. I just needed some fresh air."

"Look. I know that you care for Daniel. But, believe me, nothing is going to happen to him." She watched Vala glance at the horizon to the east. The nearly full moon was just starting to rise and because of the clear sky, it looked huge and beautiful. "It'll be full in a few days," Sam said. By then, maybe this will all be over and you and Daniel can take a walk and watch it come up." It rises a little later each night. The weather forecast is clear so there should be millions of stars visible. Hang on, Vala. This won't go on forever."

Vala stared off into the distance and said, "When I was a little girl, I used to go outside with my mother and we would watch the moons rise. The two moons always looked different from each other. She told me once that if I wished on a star, my wish would come true."

"We have a similar custom. We wish on falling stars."

"This could be any star," Vala said. "So, I always picked the one closest to the horizon. I was little so I thought if it wasn't up as high as the others it would be easier for it to grant wishes than the higher ones were."

"What did you wish for?" Sam could see that Vala was feeling very sentimental tonight.

"A knight in shining armor. We had those stories, too." Vala smiled. "I kept looking for that prince. Then, Qetesh came along and my life went all to hell. After a while, I gave up. What was the point? My life was over and all I could do was watch as that monster inside me destroyed everything and everyone around us. When I was finally free, I tried to find my home but it was gone. I didn't know where to look for it. Then, I met Daniel. Even though we were at each other's throats, I knew there was something special about him."

Sam smiled and thought she had to agree. He was special.

"We fought and fought. I didn't trust my feelings because everything I had loved had been destroyed. If I admitted my feelings for Daniel, he would die, too. So, I flirted like crazy knowing I was making him angry. I made his life miserable because I knew that if he ever really fell in love with me, he would die."

"Oh Vala. I'm so sorry."

"And then, everything changed when our minds got trapped in the Ori galaxy. It was like a switch was activated. He looked at me differently. He talked to me like I was a real person. Not all the time, but it started happening more and more. Before long, I could tell he was starting to have feelings for me." Vala turned towards Sam, with tears running down her face and said, "And I knew I loved him."

And with perfectly awful timing, Jack stepped out on the front porch and started making a scene because they were outside on the porch. He took one look at the both of them and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were talking and it looks like it's very serious, but would you please come inside?"

Sam helped Vala to her feet and said, "Let's go to my suite. I'll make us some tea and we can talk there, okay?"

Vala nodded and they both headed upstairs. As they started up, Jack said, 'I'll bring the tea things. You two go and relax."

Sam turned on the stairs and smiled at him. _'He really can be wonderful sometimes.'_

0 0 0

Carolyn opened the door to Daniel's suite and saw that he had already crawled back under the covers and was sound asleep. She checked his temperature and wrote in her chart, 101.2. _'It's up again.' _ She gently pulled back the covers to check his chest and removed the bandages. The cuts were still red and swollen and hot to the touch. _'He should be getting better but it's taking slower than I thought.'_ She replaced the bandages and noted that he'd barely moved when she examined him. After checking the wounds on his upper arm, which were still red and puffy, she sat in the corner by the window and turned the small table lamp on and wrote in his chart:

_'Daniel seems to be having trouble fighting off this infection, which isn't his usual way. Normally, he does well with a course of oral antibiotics. I'm going to put him back on an I.V.. This should fight it off better.'_

She went downstairs and met Jack at the bottom. He was on his way up with a tray and things for hot tea. He even put some cookies on a small plate and a flower in a vase.

"For Sam and Vala. They're having a chat together in Sam's suite."

Carolyn smiled and thought, _'How nice of him to do that.'_ "I need to ask you a favor when you're done."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Soon, he was back down in the foyer and ready to listen.

She gave him the keys to her car and said, 'I need something out of the trunk and since I'm not allowed back outside, would you get it for me?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"There's an IV stand plus a box of supplies. I'm going to hook Daniel back up. He's having trouble fighting off that infection and oral antibiotics just aren't doing it."

"Carolyn, is something going on I should know about?" Jack looked very serious and his alarms were going off."

"I don't think so. Those are particularly nasty wounds and that bear must have had a lot of nasty stuff in it's mouth and it's claws. It's just taking longer than a normal infection would."

Jack looked at her thoughtfully and then turned and went out to get what she needed. He came back in a few minutes later with marine helping him carry the things in. They followed her upstairs where Jack helped here assemble the IV stand and hook up the bag. She saw that Daniel was restless and decided to check his temperature again. 102. "It's still going up. I'm glad I brought this along cause it looks like we're going to need it."

"Should we take him to the SGC?" Jack was worried about his friend and wanted the best for him.

"No, he wasn't getting any rest there and I didn't want to keep him sedated. Once we get this IV going, it should help and he'll rest better. Especially in his own bed."

"Normally, I would agree with you, but he's worried about Yogi attacking Vala, Sam and you."

"With all that fire power out there? It doesn't have a chance."

"Except it's a Goa'ulded bear. That makes a difference."

"Well, if he's not better in the morning, I'll consider it. For right now, let's just keep him comfortable and make sure he rests. I can give him a sedative here, if I have to."

Jack helped her hold Daniel still while she inserted the needle and taped it down. She injected an antibiotic into the line and then made some more notes in his chart.

Jack went into the bathroom and came back with a wet, cool wash cloth and after folding it and putting it on Daniel's forehead, he stood by and watched for a few moments.

Carolyn said, "I think I'll sit here for a while and keep an eye on him. Why don't you go see what's going on outside?"

Jack knew a dismissal when he saw it and he nodded and then left. She knew he would be back in a while to sit with Daniel, as would Vala.

She sighed, _'It's going to be a long night.'_


	3. A Long Night

Chapter Three. A Long Night

Vala sat in the lounge chair on the balcony just outside Sam's room, sipping her herbal tea and listening to Sam talk about some of the funny things she'd seen Daniel do.

"One time, the guys in the locker room were gearing up for a mission (I wasn't in there, of course) and Jack reached into his locker to get his pants and they were something like three sizes too big. Reynolds told me that Jack pulled up his zipper and when his pants hit the floor round his ankles, he had the most hilarious look on his face. Teal'c, on the other hand, grabbed his pants and they were three sizes too small and he couldn't get them past the calves on his legs. They both looked at each other, shrugged and traded pants. Then, they went to their T-shirts and Jack's was around his knees but Teal'c couldn't even get his head through the hole on his. Reynolds said Daniel and some of the others started to laugh and Jack got all red in the face. Jack looked at Daniel and then he looked at Teal'c, who by this time had taken the shirt off the top of his head, and they both turned to look at Daniel. By then, they knew that Daniel had switched their clothes and the look on Daniel's face was... Well, Reynolds said that it dawned on Daniel that he was busted and he tried to get away but he was laughing so hard he tripped over his pack, and the guys grabbed him. Reynolds said you could hear Daniel screaming all the way down the hall the whole time the guys held him under the cold water in the shower. All the guys in the locker room were howling!"

Vala said, "I wish I'd been there to see that." She started laughing at the thought. "How long ago was that?"

"It had to have been a while ago because Daniel's hair was still long. SO, maybe 6 or 7 years ago, I think."

"He doesn't seem the type, you know? He's always so serious."

"Oh, believe me Vala, he can really dish it out. He can take it too, which is a good thing. One time, after the locker room incident, Daniel was in the shower and Jack and Teal'c stole all his clothes out of his locker. And all the towels. All Daniel had was the washcloth he had with him in the shower. Jack called all the women on the nearest levels to meet him inside the locker room and they got to watch as Daniel tried desperately to get out of there without exposing himself. He ran back into the shower room and refused to come out, so Jack sent the women in after him. I heard that little washcloth didn't cover much."

"What did he do?"

"He finally said, "Okay, ladies, have it your way!" He dropped the cloth and walked all the way to his quarters buck naked. I missed the whole thing because I had been in my lab but I was coming down the hall towards my quarters when I heard the commotion. You should have heard the wolf whistles!"

Vala was laughing and the tears were running down her face. "Oh Sam, that's priceless. He's so dignified, ya know? I bet he blushed for weeks after that."

"Oh yeah, for a while, every time he walked into the commissary, all the women in the room stood up and gave him a standing ovation. Finally, we all quit teasing him and it all settled down. And, it was on video. The security camera's caught the whole thing."

"NO!"

"Yes! General Hammond had to destroy the tape before copies could be made. But, before he did, it showed up on the monitors in the control room. Talk about embarrassed. Daniel learned that he's no match for Jack."

"So, the pranks quit then?"

"No, but they never got that bad again. Hammond told the guys to behave or they'd both spend time in the brig. Pranks were done off base, after that."

"Like?"

"One time, Daniel put an ad in the paper to sell Jack's truck. He said it was for sale for $50.00. It was brand new so all kinds of people were calling Jack's house, leaving messages and driving him crazy."

"Jack got even by putting a poster up all over town with Daniel's picture and his phone number and it said, 'Male exotic dancer, seeking work.' Daniel's phone rang off the hook."

Vala had just taken a sip of her tea and sprayed it all over the patio deck. "You're kidding!"

"Nope." Sam was giggling and could hardly talk. "They sure know how to get at each other."

I asked Daniel once about all the pranks. He said he got a lot of his ideas from his college days, in the dorm. But, Jack knows a lot about pranks, too. He's dealt out his fair share he learned from his days at the academy. Teal'c, on the other hand, is clueless, so sometimes Jack has to explain things to him about why he's going after Daniel or why Daniel went after him and Teal'c. The first couple of times Daniel pulled a prank on Teal'c, he almost got beat up for it. Jack had to take Teal'c aside and calm him down, more than once. Finally, Teal'c figured it out. Evidently, Jaffa are serious and never played pranks during their training days."

Vala looked at her new friend and said, "Thank you, Sam. I haven't laughed that much since... I don't remember when."

"That's okay, Vala. Daniel's pretty special to all of us and I can see how much you care. Ya know, one of the endearing qualities Daniel has is that he doesn't realize the effect he has on people around him. First, he's very kind and he does things for people but others rarely find out about those things he does. Second, he's so good looking and he's clueless about that, too. When Janet Fraser was our CMO here at the SGC, she used to tell me stories about how the young nurses working for her would just about turn into puddles whenever Daniel was brought in on a stretcher. They'd fawn over him and she had to chase a few of them out from beside his bed, numerous times. They were always trying to find time to check his blood pressure or his pulse. Finally, she had to sit them down and talk to them about proper behavior for a nursing staff. Of course, he was clueless, again."

"Well, I can understand their reaction. He's all man. I overheard a conversation once in the commissary between two women who thought he was gay. I thought, 'You've Got To Be Kidding!' He's such a hunk and there's nothing gay about him. I can't picture it, myself."

"Vala, there's been rumors around here for years about him and Jack. They dismiss them. They've heard it all and it makes them laugh. I think your snagging Daniel has put a stop to a lot of that but there's some who'll never give up. Don't let it bother you."

"Okay then. I'm going to go over to his room and check on him."

They gave each other a hug and then Vala followed the hall around to Daniel's suite while Sam went downstairs to see what the latest news was on Yogi.

It was around 9:30 and when she opened the door, she saw Carolyn sitting off to the side by the window.

"How is he?" she whispered.

"Restless. His fever is still up and he's talking a bit in his sleep. I was just going to give him a sedative so that he could rest. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Wait on the sedative. Maybe if I just crawled in there with him, it would help. It helped once before."

"Okay. If you want. I'll come back in an hour or so and see if he's doing okay." Carolyn set her notes on the table and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Vala turned off the light and went into the master bath where she found a clean pair of Daniel's sweat pants and a T-shirt and then crawled into bed next to him. He was mumbling something indiscernible but as soon as she snuggled up close, he stopped. She curled up next to him and put an arm around his right shoulder and felt him sigh. _'I think this just might work.'_

When Carolyn checked in an hour later, they were both sleeping soundly and Daniel's fever had broke.

0 0 0

The bear woke up from a disturbed sleep, confused and angry. It needed to feed but nothing seemed to fill it. There was plenty of food available and it ate often, but it was never satisfied. All it seemed to understand was to head east over the mountain range. Why? It had no idea.

The symbiote inside new exactly why. It was on a mission. To kill. To destroy two people. First Mal Doran. Then Jackson.

It slept by day and traveled by night. The first day, it killed a colt on a ranch and ate almost all of it. The second day, it found a dead mule deer with her fawn. It ate them both. Then it was sated until the evening of the third day.

0 0 0

Reports came in over the wire to the local sheriff's office in Cripple Creek about a rogue bear. Sheriff Carl Lawson and his deputy Ed Topper were sent to investigate a sighting of a Grizzly near the outskirts of town. Carl was sure this had to be the bear that attacked Dr. Jackson and Miss Mal Doran. There were no Grizzlies in Colorado, as far as he knew. This was a fluke and another sighting meant it had to be the same bear. He still didn't understand what happened just about a week before when they got the report of the attack. He'd done what he could to find the bear but it was long gone. And so were the two victims. They disappeared from the hospital so fast and he couldn't understand why. He'd talked to an Air Force General, what was his name? Landry. Right. But, all Landry would tell him was that the two victims were contracted to the Air Force and they would be in touch. It'd been almost a week and he was still waiting.

The latest sighting took place at the Gidden's ranch, about 3 miles out of town. Trace Gidden's Irish Wolfhound had been found dead. Well, what was left of it, anyway. There wasn't a whole lot left to identify it except the dog tags.

They wrote up a report but there wasn't much else they could do. He had a crew of hunters tracking the blasted thing, but until somebody shot and killed it, this was what they had to look forward to. The strange thing is, it was moving in an easterly direction. Straight for Colorado Springs.

0 0 0

The sky was just starting to lighten some, when Captain Andrew Urban looked at his watch. Dawn was still about 45 minutes away. He hadn't spotted a thing and he could hear thunder. Great. Just what he needed. He was about 2 clicks from Dr. Jackson's place, well up into the foothills, and it was going to rain. He knew he'd have to get out from under the trees. At this elevation, they were lightning rods. He decided to check in and see what was happening with his squad.

"This is Captain Urban checking in. Anyone find anything? Out."

"O'Neill here, Urban. Nothing yet. You might as well head in. I have another squad ready to take over your position. Out."

"Will..."

O'Neill waited but the reply seemed to be cut off.

"Urban, report."

Nothing.

Jack had slept for about 5 hours and was standing on the back deck, watching the lightning over the mountain peaks. _'Looks like it's going to be a wet one.'_

When Urban's radio message was cut off, he felt a chill go right up his spine.

"Teal'c?"

"I am here, O'Neill."

"Did you hear Urban's report get cut off or was that just my imagination?"

"I believe you are correct, O'Neill. It sounded ominous."

"Okay, just what I thought. Go get Mitchell. I think we're going hunting."

0 0 0

The bear finished eating the man and then crawled into a cave to sleep for the next day. It's stomach was full and the symbiote inside knew that this would be the beginning of the exciting part of the game. They would know it was in the area, now.

0 0 0

Daniel woke up and saw Carolyn fussing with an IV that he didn't remember getting. She stood next to the bed and was taking his pulse when she saw that he was awake.

"Morning, Daniel. Sleep well?"

"Uh... yeah, I guess. When did this happen?" He indicated the IV.

"Last night around 8 o'clock. You were really out of it. I'm going to leave it in today and monitor your condition closely. That infection isn't leaving your system as quickly as I want it to."

"Okay. I really must have been out of it. I don't remember anything."

"That's okay, Darling. I won't take offense."

He jumped when he turned and saw Vala come out of the master bath wrapped in his robe. She had obviously just gotten out of the shower and by the look of it, had been there a while.

"You slept pretty good, actually. I even heard your snoring once or twice. Not loudly, mind you, but I could tell you were under pretty deep."

Carolyn smirked and said, "If you feel up to it, get dressed and cleaned up and come down for breakfast. Careful of the IV, though."

"Uh... yeah, okay." Daniel looked around the bed and could see that it was obvious that he hadn't been alone all night.

She closed her bag, set it on the table, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Good Morning, Dear." Vala sat down on the edge of the bed and said, "Do you need help getting up?"

"I don't know." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. The room tilted for a second but he waited and things stopped moving. "I'm alright. I'm gonna go pee and then hit the shower."

"Leave the door open, okay? If you need me, I'll be able to hear you better."

Vala heard the shower running a few minutes later and when it stopped, she went in and helped him put a robe on. It was a bit tricky getting the bag through the sleeve and then back on the pole but soon he was in his sweat pants and they were slowly headed down the stairs. Daniel still felt a bit unsteady on his feet but Hank met them half way down and helped Daniel.

"Thanks, Hank. I appreciate it."

"I'm glad to help, Daniel. If you fell and I wasn't there to catch you, Carolyn would have my head mounted on a dart board."

Daniel grinned, trying to imagine that picture. "If you say so."

The woman in question came across the hall and directed Daniel to the kitchen table where she had a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and melon for his breakfast. Vala dished herself a plate out and sat across from him.

"No coffee?" he asked.

"No, not until your stronger."

She reminded Daniel so much of Janet that he had to stop for a moment. Even after 3 years, it was still hard to believe Janet was gone.

Daniel started eating and said, "Any news from the hunters?"

Jack had just come through the door with Teal'c. "Yes, Daniel. We just found the remains of Captain Urban. The bear got him. There wasn't much left."

Daniel paled considerably and Carolyn grabbed the waste basket just in time. He hadn't eaten much so it was quick, but he needed help to the living room where they had him lay back on the couch. Vala grabbed a pretty blue afghan and covered him up with it. He put one arm over his eyes and just laid there quietly. Nobody spoke. What could they say?

Jack motioned for Carolyn to come back to the kitchen and said, "Your dad just called the forensics team. They're bringing in the body now. I don't know that you want to be in on that, but would you please keep an eye on Daniel. I know what's going to happen. He's going to carry around a whole truckload of guilt. It's not his fault, but that's how he is."

"I think I can handle it."

They went back into the living room and watched as Vala was holding Daniel's hand, trying to console him. Sam was standing off to the side and watching, a stricken look on her face. Daniel was still very pale and when Carolyn checked his pulse, it was racing. He was also hyperventilating and seemed to be going into a full blown panic attack. She reached into her bag, prepared a syringe, and injected the sedative right into the IV line. Within a few moments, Daniel was sound asleep and would probably stay that way for the rest of the morning.

"Jack, how far away was Captain Urban's body?" Vala had to know.

"About 2 miles."

Sam asked, "And you're sure it was Yogi?"

Jack looked at her and said, "Yes. I'm sure. Bears are nocturnal so it'll probably sleep all day, like our friend here," he pointed to Daniel. "We'll be ready for it, tonight. Don't worry."

"Tell Urban that," Vala said.


	4. The Calm Before The Storm

Chapter 4. The Calm Before The Storm.

Sam searched for Jack and found him on the back deck. He had been chatting with Landry about how things were going at the SGC. When Hank saw that Sam wanted to talk, he went inside to see about some coffee.

"I want to go on the hunt, Jack." Sam felt the need to take action and not sit around waiting for others to do the work.

"Have you ever hunted a Grizzly?" Jack knew she hadn't and only asked to remind her how dangerous it was. He sat across from her at the patio table and watched his former second in command sip her iced tea.

"No, have you?" Sam didn't remember hearing that he'd ever hunted anything before. Just fished.

"No. I'm not against it, I've just never done it."

She looked up and said, "Maybe you should let the others hunt it. I mean, you're the Secretary of Home World Security, for heaven's sake! We can't afford for you to get hurt."

He wondered if it was more than that. Was she personally worried for his safety? "I appreciate your concern but I think there's enough fire power out there that we won't be in danger."

"We, Jack?"

Jack looked closely at Sam. He didn't want anything to happen to her and would just die if it did. At least, that's how he felt. It was bad enough this thing went after Daniel. It looked like Daniel would pull through. But, if it got Sam...

"We," he answered.

She saw the intense look he had given her and it shook her to her bones. She and Jack had always been attracted to each other but he'd been her CO for so many years and now that he wasn't, was it possible to hope for anything more? She almost didn't want to go there for fear that he really didn't have feelings for her, any more than he did for anyone else on the team. Except maybe Daniel, his surrogate son, kinda.

"Be ready in 10." Jack turned and headed for his truck to gear up.

Sam went back inside to get her gear and stop one more time to sit beside Daniel, on the couch. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and as she did she vowed that they would bring back a dead bear.

0 0 0

Jack stood on the patio deck, addressing the soldiers standing on the lawn in front of him. "This bear should be sleeping but since it's Goa'ulded, we can't take that chance, nor do I intend to wait for it to come to us. It has an agenda, which we intend to interfere with. It cannot, and I repeat, cannot get to the house. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" The crowd of various military personnel standing before Jack numbered almost 20 and they all were familiar with the risks. Some were veteran hunters and others were not, but they all had their instructions and were ready to go.

They headed out in groups of five, each team carrying crossbows, zats, large knives and some had guns with bayonets.

Sam was with Jack, Teal'c, Cameron and Colonel Reynolds. They started at the edge of the woods on Daniel's property and spread out, each person 20 feet from his neighbor on each side. The going was tough as the ground was uneven and there were trees to go around, but if the bear was anywhere in that 2 mile stretch, they'd find it.

0 0 0

Around eleven o'clock that morning, Daniel started to waken. He wondered where he was as he looked up at the vaulted ceiling. Turning his head, he saw Carolyn and Vala sitting on the other side of the living room talking quietly. He tried to sit up but because of the soft cushions, he wobbled a bit. Vala immediately came to his side and helped him sit up. Carolyn sat on his other side and asked how he felt.

He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Like I was drugged. What'd you do that for?" He was a bit angry for being ambushed and was still feeling a bit doped up.

"You were having a panic attack, Daniel." She sat across from him, realizing that he was quite angry with her.

"I don't have panic attacks, Carolyn," he said as he stood up. "I wish everyone around here would quit treating me like I'm a wimp. I wish you would all just leave me alone!" He headed for the stairs and Carolyn was stunned as she watched him storm up to his room.

"Male pride. Go figure," Vala said.

Daniel yelled down, "I heard that!" He then added, "I might be injured but my hearing is in perfect condition, thank you very much!"

Carolyn looked at Vala and quietly said, "I guess we shouldn't pamper him so much."

Vala grinned and said, "Yeah, but it's so much fun!"

Hank came out of the kitchen with a tray of coffee mugs and a carafe full of 'High Octane,' and said, "Where'd he go?"

Carolyn answered, "He got mad at our pampering and stormed up to his room."

"No wonder! You've been treating him like an old woman. He's a man, for cryin' out loud!"

"You sound just like Jack, Dad!"

"Good. I'll take that as a compliment." He grabbed two mugs and the carafe and headed for the stairway.

"Don't you give him that coffee!" Carolyn shouted to his back. "He shouldn't have any caffeine!"

"He's getting as much coffee as he wants from this moment on. You're babying him. No wonder he's ticked off!"

She tried to shout at him to stop but he ignored her and went around to Daniel's suite and knocked on the door.

"It's open!" Daniel was sitting at the table by the window.

"Hey, how about some coffee?" Hank held up the mugs and carafe.

"How about I bow and kiss your feet?" Daniel grinned when he saw Hank bring in the treasured brew.

"Nah, that's not necessary. I thought you needed something. I didn't think I could get past Carolyn with a bottle of whiskey so I thought I'd try the coffee. She's mad but she didn't stop me. She knows it won't hurt you. She just likes to be in control."

"Well, the coffee smells great! I always get sick drinking whiskey. And with the meds I'm on, that's probably not a good idea. Thanks for thinking of me, though. And for the coffee." Daniel poured a mug full for Hank and one for himself and they both went over to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace.

Daniel asked, "Have you heard any news?"

"No. I've been monitoring the radio but I decided to take a break and get this for you instead. I have to head back to the SGC. Work won't stop because of this and I have some meetings scheduled with the department heads so I have to leave. Let me give you a piece of advice, son. Don't let those pretty ladies down there coddle you. They want to help, and that's good, but they'll smother you if they can. Not because they want to, but because they just can't help themselves. I see that virtually everyone around here respects you and doesn't want anything to happen to you. Just don't let them get away with babying you."

Daniel said, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." He took a good swallow of the strong, dark coffee. Then he sat back and said, "Sir, I'm really sorry I took it out on Carolyn. I know she didn't mean anything wrong. She's a phenomenal doctor and doesn't deserve my yelling at her."

"She understands. You've got a lot on your plate right now." Hank stood up and headed back toward the door. "I'll be back later, unless I hear that they've got the bear. If they do, have someone call."

"Will do!"

0 0 0

Just after noon, Jack called a halt. He radioed all the teams to turn and head back, searching the whole way.

"What's going on Jack?" Sam wondered why they were returning.

"It's obvious to me that the bear is well hidden. By my estimation, I figure that we've covered about 3 ½ miles. We've passed the bear. So, let's carefully retrace our steps. The eyes in the sky haven't seen anything moving but it's hard to see through the leaf cover. If we don't come across it, we'll have to wait until it moves tonight."

No one saw anything on their way back so the large group sat in groups on the lawn and were fed in rotation on the back deck. Cold cut sandwiches, potato salad and fresh fruit salad was doled out and after lunch, the teams rested where they could find a spot in the July heat. None of them wanted to track dirt into the house and they only went in to use the bathroom by the back door next to the mud room, just off the kitchen.

Daniel had come downstairs and apologized to Carolyn for snapping at her. He wished out loud that he could be out there helping but Jack wouldn't hear of it. There was no way his best friend was going out there to become bear food. Jack convinced Daniel to play a game of chess with him in Daniel's suite, where it was relatively quiet.

"It's been a while since we played. Think you can beat me? " He gave him a mischievous grin.

Daniel looked at him and said, "You're on!" Jack grabbed the wooden set and they headed upstairs to settle down to a long game.

Vala challenged Teal'c to a game of pool and after beating her, he played Cam. After two games, Cam and Teal'c went outside to hang around with some of the guys out on the lawn. Sam challenged Vala and she agreed.

An while later, Jack came down and said, "He beat me! I must be getting rusty." He smiled and then said to Vala, "He asked me to send you up. He said he needed help with something."

"Oh?" Vala looked amused.

"Yeah, he didn't say what he needed help with but if I see anyone heading up to his room, I'll try to distract them." He gave Sam a knowing look and laughed as Vala made her way up the stairs.

Vala opened the door to Daniel's suite and saw him setting some clean clothes out on the bed.

She said, "Jack said you needed help with something? Why didn't he stay to help you?"

"'Cause, I wanted your help, not his," he said. "Help me get this sling off so I can take a shower."

"Is that a good idea? Should you be getting your stitches wet? I mean, maybe we should see if Carolyn thinks it's okay."

"Remember, she let me take one yesterday? I'll be careful, Vala. Besides, it's been almost a week since she sewed me up. I'm healing pretty good."

"Okay, if you say so."

"Vala, if you lock the door, you can join me. Just to help, of course."

"Oh, of course," she said. "Just to help. Now I know why you didn't want Jack to stay and I'm always happy to help my Daniel," she said with a wicked grin and a wink.

0 0 0

The bear stretched and stood up. As it headed for the opening of it's temporary hiding place, it thought, "MAN!" It could smell the scent all around and wondered why. It had eaten a lot lately, so it wasn't hunger that spurred it on. The smell of man made it cautious. True, it didn't really fear man, but with this much scent around, it seemed obvious that it was extremely outnumbered.

The symbiote realized something right away. The bear was being hunted. The only thing it could do now was leave the bear and enter something else. It didn't matter anymore that it look like an accident. The perfect choice would be one of the military personnel. That way, it could infiltrate the group and make it's way into the house, find Daniel and Vala, and dispatch them both. Now, which one should it choose?

It would have to wait for just the right moment, when a human was alone. Then, it would strike!


	5. A New Source of Fear

Chapter 5. A New Source Of Fear.

Vala helped Daniel shampoo his hair and then rinse it. He couldn't really use his fingers yet and raising his injured arm was difficult, at best, especially with the IV still attached.. Thankfully, Carolyn had done a new set of x-rays and discovered that Daniel's fingers weren't broken, as she originally thought, but they were badly bruised and scraped up from the bear's fangs. He could move them, but they were quite sore. He didn't mind having Vala help him, though. Having her massage his scalp while in the shower felt wonderful.

They both dried off and she helped him dress into khaki slacks and a button down navy colored short sleeved shirt. He couldn't do the socks so she did and then she helped him into a black pair of casual slip on shoes.

She quietly made it down the hall to her room to dress as he went downstairs, feeling like a new man. She came down a few minutes later wearing a blue chambray long sleeved shirt and white slacks and brown leather sandals. She went into the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee while Daniel was sitting at the kitchen table talking with Sam, Jack, Teal'c and Cameron.

Carolyn removed Daniel's IV when he sat down at the table and he thanked her as she threw the bag and line away. Jack picked up the stand and stood it in the corner, out of the way.

"It feels good to be free of that thing," Daniel said as Carolyn put a gauze pad over the mark on the inside of his elbow and asked him to apply pressure. He looked up at her and smiled as she taped it down.

She said, "Just make sure that if you start feeling sick or feverish, you let me know right away. I think you'll be fine but last night you weren't doing well and we don't want you to get like that again. You do look like you're feeling better."

"I took a shower. Don't worry, I dried off carefully."

"Let's go in the other room so you can open your shirt and I can take a look at your stitches."

He followed her into the sun room and she examined his chest carefully. "You're healing well. I could take those out. How does that sound?"

"Great."

"Okay, sit tight and I'll go get what I need."

Jack and SG-1 came into the sun room and sat around chatting quietly as Carolyn returned. She used her scissors to snip each stitch and then a hemostat to pull them out.

"Does that hurt at all?"

"No, it just tickles a little when you pull on them."

"Good." She examined him carefully and then looked at the scabs on his upper arm. "Let me know if these start to turn red or drain. Puncture wounds can be tricky. The IV gave you a boost of antibiotics and I think we beat the infection but I want to make sure. I'm putting you back on the oral antibiotics for a few more days, just to make sure. Okay?"

He nodded as he buttoned up his shirt. She gathered up the mess and took it into the kitchen to throw it away. They sat and talked quietly as the sun headed towards the horizon.

0 0 0

Lieutenant Payton Steele didn't like waiting around for things to happen. He was a take charge kind of guy; one willing to forge ahead in difficult circumstances and meet challenges head on.

Around 8 pm he grabbed his crossbow and walked to the edge of the lawn, looking into the dense forest. The sun wouldn't set for about 25 minutes but it was already darker on this side of the mountains because of the shadows they threw. He knew that this was about the time that some bears would come out of their dens and roam, foraging for food. The nearly full moon had risen behind him about a half hour earlier but he didn't want to wait for it to show overhead. It might be easier for the bear to see him and get away.

Some of his team noticed his behavior and wondered what he was up to, but they new he was a seasoned soldier and an avid hunter so they weren't too concerned.

Just as he stepped into the forest, the bear reared up and attacked. The symbiote didn't want to kill the man, just get close enough to enter through the mouth. The plan was to enter and then let the bear get killed, causing those in the military to be tricked into thinking the whole thing was over and let their guards down.

It roared loudly and made a swipe at Steele, knowing that the man wouldn't be ready to shoot and that others would come to his rescue and shoot the bear.

As the men on the lawn ran over to Steele, he ducked and rolled over as four crossbows were loosed of their arrows, and the bear fell dead next to Steele. The symbiote jumped from the bear's throat into the man's and embedded itself into soft tissue in the back of the man's throat, before the four other soldiers got close.

Nobody saw what happened and Lieutenant Steele was now in the clutches of the symbiote's control and unable to do anything to stop it. He laid there panting from the adrenaline rush and then stood and staggered to the side.

The four soldiers ran forward, one shouting, "We got it! We killed the bear!" The soldiers camped on the lawn jumped up and ran towards the commotion, wanting to get a better look.

Jack shouted to Daniel and Vala, "You two, stay here!" He, Sam, Mitchell and Teal'c turned and ran out the French patio doors, racing towards the fallen bear and Lieutenant Steele. More crossbows were now trained on the bear as Steele backed away from the scene. Cam raced forward to take Payton aside and check for injuries. Finding none, he escorted Steele back to the house where Carolyn was waiting on the deck while Jack checked to see that the bear was definitely dead. Cam returned and congratulated the men who shot the bear and saved Payton.

"It's over," Jack said as he looked closer and noted that it was indeed a Grizzly and it looked like a big, hairy pin cushion. He took off his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his hair. "There can't be two of them around here. This must be it."

Everyone gave a sigh of relief that the hunt was over and everyone was now safe.

"Where is Steele?" Jack hadn't seen Cam escort him away and when Cam said he was back at the house and Carolyn was checking on him, he nodded. "He's okay then?"

"As far as I could tell," Cam said. "It didn't seem like he'd been injured. I think it scared the liver out of him, though."

Teal'c looked confused and said, "Liver, Colonel Mitchell?"

"It's something my Aunt Fanny used to say," Cam said.

Teal'c looked amused but didn't say anything more. He just smiled and turned to walk towards the house as the others followed.

Jack shouted to Reynolds, "I want this bear taken to the SGC for an autopsy. The rest of you are dismissed. Reynolds, report to Landry and tell him what went down." One of the airmen ran to get a truck to take the bear in and it took a few of them to load the heavy beast into the back. The rest of the guys headed towards the transport truck and the whole group left, talking excitedly about the afternoon's events.

0 0 0

Carolyn was checking Payton's blood pressure and pronounced him healthy. "You're very lucky. That bear could have ripped you in two."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm just glad the whole thing is over."

"Me, too. Maybe things can go back to normal now."

"Yes, Ma'am. Is Doctor Jackson and Miss Mal Doran around? I'd like to reassure them that this is over."

"They just went upstairs. I can take you up there to his suite, if you like."

'Yes, Ma'am. I would like that."

Carolyn escorted him to Daniel's room and knocked on the door.

"It's open." Daniel and Vala were sitting on the couch on the other side of the room, holding hands. They heard her ask, "Are you sure you don't want to see it? I'm sure the guys would be happy to stop so you could look at it."

"No, thanks. I've seen it, up close and personal. I don't ever want to see it again."

Carolyn stepped forward with Lieutenant Steele and introduced him. Then she left, closing the door behind her.

Payton stayed back, knowing that Vala would be able to sense the Goa'uld inside. He held out his hand for Daniel to shake it and nodded humbly when Daniel thanked him for finding the bear.

"It was purely an accident, Sir. I didn't know it was there until it jumped out." _'This is perfect. Nobody is around and if I can get to Vala first, I'll be able to make him suffer before I kill him.'_

Daniel went over to the window to look out as the troop truck went by. Vala stepped towards Steele and as she did, she seemed to know something was wrong. She reached for his hand and as she did so, he grabbed her, turned her around and twisted her arm up behind her back.

"Daniel!" Vala shouted and then felt Steele's hand cover her mouth to keep her quiet.

Daniel turned towards Vala as soon as she shouted and couldn't believe his eyes. Payton had Vala in his grip and as he looked into his face, he saw Payton's eyes glow.

"So, now I finally have you both where I want you. It's nice to finally be able to talk to you, Dr. Jackson. It's too bad you didn't die before but now you will. First, though, I want you to back up and sit in the chair by the fireplace."

Daniel raised both hands up, palms facing Steele and hesitated. He said,   
"Lieutenant, this is a big mistake. You can't get out of here without being killed. Just let her go and I'll go with you."

Vala managed to turn her head and say, "Daniel, no!" She wasn't about to let anything happen to him.

Payton said, "It doesn't matter if I die. I expected to. But first, you'll watch your woman die. Make a sound to try to get help and I'll snap her neck like a twig!" He put his hand around her throat and slowly started to squeeze. Vala struggled but she couldn't get any air and Daniel stood helplessly by as he watched her struggle.

"Stop! Please, let her go!" Daniel pleaded for her life but Steele just slowly smiled as he held Vala.

She had tears running from her eyes and then, as her face started to turn blue, her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out. Payton dropped her and pulled his hand gun out.

"You're next," he said as he stepped around Vala and said, "I'm doing this under the orders of my superiors. You've become a thorn in the side of the Trust. I've been sent to take the thorn out."

Daniel lunged towards the assassin and the gun went off, hitting him in the abdomen. He spun sideways and fell to the floor in front of the chair he'd been sitting in.

Payton heard a noise behind him and turned in time to see a table lamp swinging towards his head. He lost his balance and fell over dropping the gun.

Vala was on the gun in a second and had it pointed right at him.

She squeezed the trigger and fired.

Jack and SG-1 burst through the door at the same time and saw Vala take a second shot, hitting the lieutenant. They saw Daniel on the floor a few feet away, gasping for air and bleeding on the floor underneath him. Carolyn ran in and dropped to the floor beside him, checking for injuries.

Cam grabbed the gun from Vala and asked her what happened. She was trying to tell him and Jack was shouting for Teal'c to restrain Steele who was gleefully spouting some nonsense about the Trust and a thorn, despite having been shot twice.

Teal'c took out his zat and trained it on the would-be assassin while Sam put Steele in restraints and then applied pressure to the wounds with a towel she'd gotten from Daniel's bathroom.

Cam got Vala calmed down enough to find out that Steele tried to kill her and Daniel and that he was the Goa'uld. He noticed the dark bruises around her neck and took her to sit in the chair by the window.

Meanwhile, Carolyn was working with Jack, trying to stop Daniel from bleeding to death. Jack got out his cell phone and called the SGC, requesting a medivac helicopter, and told them where they were. He couldn't risk having the local authorities in on this.

Sam was monitoring Lieutenant Steele but saw that he was fading fast.

"Colonel Carter, step back. The symbiote may try to enter someone else."

Teal'c cautioned her and then watched as the snake slithered out of Payton's mouth and started across the floor towards Sam. He stepped forward and put the thing to death under his shoe.

Steele drew his last breath and closed his eyes. Sam checked his vitals and then said, "He's dead."

They heard the thumping sound of a helicopter's blades a few minutes later and Jack stood and watched as it landed on the back lawn. Three EMT's came racing out and Jack was out on the balcony, motioning for them to use the stairs up to Daniel's private deck. They came running through the French patio doors and went to Daniel's side, listening as Carolyn gave them Daniel's vitals. Daniel was still conscious but he'd lost a lot of blood and was having a hard time staying awake. They quickly administered first aid and then strapped him to a gurney and went out to the helicopter with Carolyn and Vala running along behind them.

The bird took off as Reynolds and his troops pulled into the drive. They'd heard the radio chatter and decided to turn around, in case they were needed. A team of them went up to Daniel's suite and secured Lieutenant Steele's body. They carried it out to the truck and left. Cam, Jack, Sam and Teal'c hopped into Teal'c's SUV and followed Reynolds to the SGC.

The helicopter arrived first with it's precious cargo and by the time the rest of SG1 arrived, Daniel had been rushed into surgery and Vala was in a bed in the infirmary. Doctor McCartney, the new doctor assigned to the SGC, was checking Vala's neck and suggested that she get an MRI to make sure she was okay.

General Landry was standing off to the side, waiting to talk with her when SG-1 entered the infirmary. Vala was having trouble talking because of the swelling and she was whisked away before anyone could ask her much.

"What happened, Jack?"

"We're not exactly sure but it looks like the Goa'uld jumped from the bear to Lieutenant Steele. Steele then attacked Vala and then shot Daniel. Vala then shot Steele and that's when we arrived in Daniel's suite. Carolyn heard the scuffle and ran to get us. Daniel was hit in the abdomen and I'm assuming that since he's not in here, he's in surgery?

"Right. They took him straight there from the medivac and I haven't heard anything. It looks like Vala was strangled. Her throat started to swell shut after they got in the air so she hasn't been able to say anything. It's a good thing she went along on the ride. They were able to keep on eye on her."

"Sir, it looks like she saved Daniel's life again." Sam and the rest of SG-1 were standing around the room, hoping to hear some good news, soon.

"She's a remarkable woman. I'm just glad she's on our side," Hank said and then smiled. "I have a feeling it's going to be a while before we hear anything. You might as well make yourselves comfortable."

"Jack, Carolyn has had a waiting room set up right down the hall. She was tired of us all taking up space when one of us got hurt. It's close enough that we can all keep track of Daniel and Vala from in there."

Sam went down the hall, opened the door and turned on the lights. There was a large entertainment center on the wall to the right, complete with TV, DVD player and a nice CD player, as well, with shelves that held movies and music. Comfortable couches, tables and easy chairs were scattered around the room and a table with six chairs was in the nearest corner to the left. A counter with a sink, a microwave and a coffee maker was along the wall behind the table. And, along the far wall was a refrigerator and vending machines dispensing anything from soda's and water to snacks and heatable meals.

They made themselves at home and settled in for the long wait.


	6. In The Arms Of Morpheus

Chapter Six. In The Arms of Morpheus.

Daniel woke up to the familiar beeping sounds and antiseptic smells of the infirmary and groaned out loud, "Not again."

Vala was instantly at his side and whispered, "He's awake."

Carolyn stepped closer and said, "Hey, do you know where you are?"

He scowled. "Infirmary. Again." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Got it in one!" Carolyn couldn't blame him for feeling frustrated. He spent more time here than anyone else in the whole SGC.

He asked, "Are you okay?" He lightly squeezed Vala's hand but couldn't muster enough energy to open his eyes.

She said, "I'm fine. A little sore but don't worry."

"Good," He mumbled and then drifted back to sleep.

Jack had camped in the chair in the corner for two days since Daniel had been shot and refused to budge. He was relieved to see that his buddy was going to be okay. "I have to fly back to D.C. this morning so I have to go." Daniel was his best friend. The little geek had gotten under his skin eleven years before when he opened the Stargate and changed their lives forever.

"He's gonna be fine, Jack." Carolyn met his eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. "It could have been a lot worse. Give him a little time and he'll be good as new."

"That's Daniel for ya. I heard they were gonna put a plaque on the wall. Something about the Guinness Book of World Records. If they only knew the truth..."

They walked over to the waiting room and let the others know that Daniel had been awake briefly. Then Jack said his goodbyes and headed for the elevator.

Sam walked with him and said, "I'll call you when we take him home. I'm sure he'd love for you to come back for another visit. He was barely home this time before he ended up back in here."

"That would be nice." Jack looked at Sam and thought, _'I wonder what she would do if I gave her a kiss goodbye?'_ But, he hesitated and then the elevator opened and two nurses stepped out. _'Too late!'_

Sam saw him hesitate and thought she knew why but when the nurses walked by, the moment ended. She found she was disappointed. Again.

She walked back into the waiting room to hear Carolyn saying, "I'll let you see him later today, if there's no complications."

Sam said, "Can't we just take a peek? We won't make any noise, I promise."

"Okay, I'll allow it. But, you can't stay. He needs his rest."

They went to see for themselves that he was alright and stood by the end of the bed, chatting quietly.

"He looks a lot better than he did when he came out of surgery," Vala whispered as she caressed Daniel's hand.

They stepped into the hall and Cam asked, "So, what's the prognosis?"

"He'll be here for a few days. If he continues to do well, I'm going to insist that he stay a few days in his quarters here at the base and then I'll send him home. I'm sure he'll want to get out of here before then, but he lost a lot of blood and he's going to tire easily. He's lucky. The bullet almost missed him and just nicked his liver. That's why he bled a lot. Given enough time, he'll be fine."

"Liver?" Teal'c looked amused and turned towards Cam and said, "It seems your remark about the liver was timely, Colonel Mitchell."

"Yeah, me and my big mouth." Cam fisted his pants pockets and looked guilty. "Good thing I didn't say heart or brain."

"Hey," Sam said as she patted his back, "That was pure coincidence and you know it. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Okay, everybody out. Come back later and I'll let you know if he's ready for a visit." Carolyn shooed them all out and turned to leave when she saw that Teal'c had taken Jack's place in the chair. She just sighed and left the room. She knew he wouldn't bother Daniel or make any noise.

Vala was really tired so she went over to the lounge and decided to take a nap on the couch. She couldn't stand the thought of being far away if anything should happen to Daniel.

0 0 0

A few days later, Daniel was getting cabin fever from sitting around the SGC all day, doing nothing. He was banned from his office and nobody wanted to risk Carolyn's wrath by sneaking work to him.

"Carolyn, if you don't let me out of here, I'll go nuts! I've read every magazine on the base, I think, and there's nothing good on TV. Just soaps and that crazy court stuff. SciFi had some interesting movies on earlier but you can only watch so much of that stuff before you get bored stiff.

"I was going to suggest that you go home today."

"Finally! YES!"

Carolyn was amused at the hopeful look on his face. It reminded her of a child when he was told he could open his birthday presents.

"With restrictions, of course," she added. "No lifting. No showers until I clear you. No caffeine."

He groaned. _'Why do doctors restrict coffee? I never understood that.'_

"I want you to walk a little bit every day, but take short walks. Nothing strenuous. And, no stairs."

"Carolyn, I don't have an elevator in my house and my room is upstairs."

"I know but don't worry, we fixed up the sun room for you to use as a bedroom until you're better."

"You did?"

"Yes. We moved in a portable twin bed. And, someone will be with you at all times, in case you need anything."

Vala walked into the infirmary and said, "Doctor Lam told me you could go home today." She looked at Carolyn and asked, "Can he go now?"

"Yes. I have a list of orders here and I want you both to sign them so that I know you understand the restrictions." She held out the clip board and watched as they both read her orders and signed.

"Sam said she'd give us a ride and to call her when you're ready."

0 0 0

The sun room had been set up with privacy curtains around the bed. Daniel was so glad to be home and argued that he didn't need to lay down, yet.

"Vala, quit the hovering, already! I'm not going to hurt myself!"

She backed off and sat on the couch in the living room and watched him walk around, looking at things. He went into the lounge and soon she heard the sounds of music being played quietly on the piano. She'd never seen a piano before she came to earth so it was a real treat to hear him play. Thankfully, his fingers were nearly healed and Carolyn had suggested the piano as part of his physical therapy.

Cam and Teal'c came out of the kitchen and Cam said, "Anyone hungry? I've got some chicken breasts marinating and I can grill them out when you're all ready."

"I'm ready now," Daniel said as he walked into the living room. "After eating the food at the SGC for a week, grilled chicken sounds wonderful."

Lunch consisted of the chicken, a nice garden salad, and a rice dish that Sam put together with stewed tomatoes and Parmesan cheese."

Afterwards, they sat in the living room to watch a movie and rest. Daniel took his medication after lunch and napped in the recliner chair.

After the others left, Vala went with him to the sun room and helped him put a pair of sweat pants on to sleep in. Then, she curled up next to him in the bed and said, "It's finally over, Daniel." She breathed a sigh and reached around his neck to play with is hair.

"I hope so. I can't remember how many times I've thought that, before. I don't think it will ever be over. The Trust has an agenda and I doubt they're going to quit just because their plans didn't work this time."

"So, what are you going to do?" Vala placed her hand against his, noticing how much longer his fingers were compared to hers.

He brought her hand up and kissed it. "Keep trying to stay ahead of them, I guess. It won't matter what I do. I could quit and go to work for some University and they'd still haunt me. It's a revenge thing."

"So, we keep fighting the bad guys and hope we win? Daniel, the Ori are extremely powerful. And, more and more of the Jaffa are rebelling against their new nation and have started fighting again. I'm afraid that we won't win no matter how hard we try."

"Well... the alternative would be to surrender, and I'm not about to do that, are you?" He looked into her eyes and was worried that she'd want to give up.

"No, I don't. But, sometimes this feels so overwhelming."

He hugged her close and sighed. "I know."

She noticed that he was having trouble staying awake. It had been a long, tiring day and though it wasn't too late, he was tired. She hopped off the bed and smoothed out the covers. "Why don't you go to sleep. I can sleep right here on the couch in case you need anything."

He took off his eyeglasses and she set them on the coffee table. After turning off the light, she gave him a kiss but kept it quick. He was barely awake as she pulled up the blanket to cover him.

Before she went over to the couch, she went around the curtained off area to the windows and looked up at the stars. She'd been out there, traveling through space from planet to planet, billions of miles away. But, this was finally the place where she felt she belonged. Right beside her Daniel. _'This is home.'_

She turned and made herself comfortable on the couch, feeling thankful for the man sleeping just a few feet away. She whispered, "Good night, Daniel. I love you," and then she fell asleep.

The End


End file.
